Saturday, November 08, 2008 SHS-J starts hunt for Milo Visayas title
MANILA - Hotshot Chico Lañete scored a difficult buzzer-beater fade-away jumper to lift Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants past Talk ‘N Text, 88-87, yesterday in the 34th KFC-PBA Philippine Cup at the Cuneta Astrodome.
The Ormoc City-born Lañete recovered a loose ball and got away from Mac-Mac Cardona and Jimmy Alapag to score the marginal basket from the far left corner just as fast as the buzzer sounded.
“I really had to score the last shot because we need to win. Thank God! We did it. It came at the right time when we have to struggle to make it to the quarterfinal round,” said the 29-year-old Lanete, who joined the professional league only last year.
Good defense
Coach Ryan Gregorio, however, attributed their fourth win in eight matches to a good defensive job by the Giants, who held the Tropang Texters scoreless in the last 3:25 of the match.
The tight defensive chores led by Enrico Villanueva and Kerby Raymundo enabled James Yap, Lañete and Topex Robinson to surge a fiery 11-0 run down the stretch.
“It was our defense especially in the fourth quarter that dealt the blow for the Tropang Texters. This is a good win for us. I hope this will ignite us to more wins,” said 2005 MVP Yap.
Yap scored a game-high 30 points and five rebounds, while Lañete finished with 24 points, six rebounds and two assists. Kerby Raymundo settled with 12 points, three rebounds and five steals.
Cardona topscored for the Tropang Texters with 21 points, rookie Jason Castro and Yancy de Ocampo added 14 points apiece.
Meanwhile, Rain or Shine faces Air 21 at 2:30 p.m., while Barangay Ginebra meets the Coca-Cola Tigers at 6:30 p.m. today in a double-header road games at the Quezon Convention Center in Lucena City. (FCC)
